


The Butterfly Effect

by Lazuli5



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Arranged Marriage, F/M, because there seems to be one for every ship except tokka, doing all the work like i usually am, so ya know here i am
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-15 06:08:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29679579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lazuli5/pseuds/Lazuli5
Summary: Sokka is the prince of the Southern Islands. Toph is the princess of the Earth Kingdom. With the coming war with the Fire Nation, there's only one way to unite their countries and hope to counter the enemy's attacks, and that's the wedding ceremony that's happening in three weeks. Only catch: the two hate each other. Of course.
Relationships: Toph Beifong & Zuko, Toph Beifong/Sokka
Comments: 10
Kudos: 26





	1. Sokka

**Author's Note:**

> OMG OKAY, I"M SO PROUD OG]F MYSELF FOR THIS ONE GUYS anyways add royalty to anything and I'm in, so tokka + royalty is a big yes from me. Hope you guys like it and let me know what you think!

The mirror has hung on the northwestern wall of his chambers for as long as he can remember. It's a curious shape, like that of a teardrop. He likes it, anyway. It reminds him of the water surrounding his home, the islands of Esceania, and how much he loves it. When he was younger, if he tilted his head back as far as it would go, he could just catch a glimpse of his dark brown hair peeking up over the edge. As he grew, each time he passed the mirror he was rewarded by seeing more and more of himself.

The day he stood in front of it and stared at all of himself also happened to be his eighth birthday, and he had never felt more proud, which was really saying something as a prince. He remembers his nervousness, the butterflies that took flight in his stomach when he woke up that day. His mother was there to rouse him instead of his nursemaid as a special treat, and her smile was soft and gentle as she helped him out of bed.

"Let's see how you've grown, now, shall we?" she said quietly, leading him down the wide stairs in his room to that special wall with the teardrop mirror. His eyes were closed tightly as his mother steered him to a stop in front of it. "Open your eyes, little one."

So he did. And there he was, all four feet seven inches of him. Sokka of Esceania, heir to the throne. He had laughed, throwing up his hands in excitement as he raced around the room shrieking, "I did it! I did it!"

"Yes, you did," his mother said in amusement, watching him run around and around. "Are you happy?"

He came to an abrupt stop in front of her and threw his arms around her legs. "Yes, yes, yes! Best birthday ever!"

She laughed and sank to her knees, hugging him back as hard as she could. They stayed there, embracing on the floor, for a long time, and finally his sister Katara had to come and fetch them for breakfast.

It seems silly now, at seventeen years old, to be excited about seeing yourself, but that was and is the best day of his life. He still remembers the butterflies in his stomach, the anxious feeling devouring his stomach, the nervousness that he wouldn't be tall enough. Every time he's put in a situation that makes him uncomfortable, his mind returns to that feeling, and the stupid reason that caused it, and suddenly the problem in front of him doesn't seem so bad.

Except for right now. This time, the butterflies aren't going away.

"For the last time, if you don't hold still, I can't help you," Katara whines as she circles his legs like a ravenous vulture, hungry for mistakes in his perfectly tailored uniform. She is determined that he looks his best.

He sighs. "Does it really matter how I look? She's blind, she can't tell the difference."

She pops up to glare at him. "Of course it matters! First impressions are very important, Sokka. This isn't just about you. It's about me, and Father, and - Spirits forbid - the entire country! Not to mention Toph's entire country, and her parents, and her people..." she begins rambling about duties and priorities, and he stops listening. He's perfected the art of tuning people out, living with Katara for sixteen years. Instead, he chooses to focus on his reflection, his own crystal blue eyes staring back at him from inside the teardrop mirror. The eyes found on nearly everyone on the islands, poor or rich, young or old. Katara's eyes, their father's eyes, their mother's eyes.

That's been a source of comfort in the years since his mother's passing, knowing that everywhere he looks, her eyes jump out at him. Even in himself, which is another reason he refuses to let anyone move the mirror, as outdated and ugly as it has grown to be. He looks in the mirror and sees his mother looking back at him, just as he's doing now. He sighs again, and his reflection sighs with him.

"Are you done yet?" he asks impatiently. Katara gives him a look as she tugs at his hair. Technically, she isn't supposed to be helping him - technically she's supposed to be getting ready herself - but he'd asked for her presence. If he closes his eyes and holds his breath, it might be his mother pulling the comb.

"Almost," she says, stepping back and motioning for him to turn around, which he does. She flicks a few imaginary dust specks away, her eyes snaking over his body expertly, then she nods and he's deemed acceptable. "Now, remember to hold your head high, smile, and don't let any of them see the twerp we all know you really are."

He smirks, and she pulls him down to embrace him tightly. "You'll be great," she whispers in his ear. "I know it."

"I always am," he whispers back, pulling away. Hastily she fixes his sash and brushes her hand across his ponytail, then steps back and curtsies.

"Your majesty," she teases.

"Your highness," he says, bowing with a grin. "Well, I'm off to meet Father. Wish me luck."

"You don't need it," she smiles, giving him a final kiss on the cheek before dashing through the long corridors of the palace to her own chambers, where her maids are no doubt waiting for her late return. She, too, must look her best for this. This is huge.

"Sitka," he calls to his butler, who perks up from helping his other servants pack up his things for the trip. They leave in a few hours.

"Yes, your majesty?"

"I'm ready." Sitka nods and begins toward the door, opening it for him, and he's just about to walk through when he changes his mind.

"Wait." He turns around and goes over to the mirror. His reflection grins at him, and he says, "Have this put in my trunks for the trip, someone."

"Yes, your majesty," another butler says.

"The next time you see me, I'll have met Miss Toph Beifong," he says to his reflection. "I'll be a changed man, hopefully." Then he allows the mirror to be carefully taken and stowed away.

He shakes his head, marching along beside Sitka through the corridors to the throne room. His father is pacing the floor, and he looks up when Sokka enters.

"Ah, Sokka." He nods to the servants surrounding the vast room. "Leave us."

They bow and exit one by one, leaving Sokka alone with his father. Once the last maid has swished away, he straightens himself up and faces him, his eyebrows arched in surprise.

"Who did your hair?"

He involuntarily reaches up to stroke the thin strands his sister had so carefully braided this morning. "Katara," he says, and his father nods.

"Yes, I should have known. I suppose she did the rest of you as well?"

"Yes, sir."

The king shakes his head, a smile dancing across his lips. "Sneaking off to you when she should be getting ready. She's so like her mother."

Sokka bows his head. It's rare that his father speaks of their mother. He was crushed by her death, but he didn't allow his grief to take control of him. Instead, he used it and converted it into more love for him and Katara. "I know, sir. I - I miss her."

"As do I, son. As do I." His father pats him on the shoulder gently. "Well, no use dawdling on the past. We must get you ready for this afternoon."

"Yes." He fidgets with his thumbs as princes must not do as his father leads him to a corner of the room to talk. "What are you going to be teaching me?"

"Not so much teaching today," he says. For the last few days, he has been coaching him on what to do and how to act while in the Earth Kingdom. Their ways are different from that of Esceania in many ways, and he has to be ready. Especially if he is to wed the princess. "More of a... quiz, if you will. Just a sort of review."

"Oh."

"To begin, please tell me the names of the Earth Kingdom royal family."

He takes a deep breath. He knows this. Everyone does, really, but he's had faces to go along with the names ever since he was sent a pack of photographs of them with each person's name and age on it. "King and Queen Lao and Poppy Beifong, sir. Their daughter Toph Beifong is to be my wife." He swallows hard. Toph's face was pretty in her picture, pale with sharp features and big, green eyes. But still, he had never even met her. Yet he was expected to marry her?

"Good, good," his father says. He's pacing again. "Now, how would one address the King and Queen if they were shown to court?"

Quickly he demonstrates the proper bow to do, and his father only gives a brief nod before he rushes him into the next question. He queries him for nearly an hour, quizzing him on the Earth Kingdom's culture and their cuisine and how to properly make eye contact and how it's considered rude to place your hand on top of a native's hand. Finally he stops, both of them breathless.

"Well done, son. You've got it down," he congratulates, and Sokka beams. "Just one more thing before we board the ship."

He nods, though he's confused. What other information could he possibly stuff inside his brain? It's full enough as it is. "Yes, sir."

The king's expression goes dark, and he places his hand on Sokka's shoulders tightly. "You're aware of why you are marrying the Lady Toph, yes?"

"Yes, sir," he answers, his eyes not wandering away from his father's face, though he sorely wants them to. This is a sensitive topic, he knows.

It's no secret that the far-away Fire Nation, with their deadly weapons and modern bombs, hate the Earth Kingdom and anything to do with it. No one is really sure why, at least to his knowledge, though he did hear a rumor about one of the king's sons disappearing and the king supposedly accusing King Lao of kidnapping him. He has no way to know if this is true, but it had been interesting enough to hold a week's worth of gossip down in the kitchens, which was where Sokka spent most of his time when he wasn't working. He'd heard another theory that the king's wife, Queen Ursa, had run away as well, but that one hit a dead end as no one has heard from or about her in nearly ten years. Anyway, it didn't really have anything to do with the Earth Kingdom. Someone in the palace most likely had a liking for telling stories that involved running away.

Recently, the Fire Nation's attacks had become more and more fatal to the people of the Earth Kingdom, and so King Lao had called on the surrounding countries to help. Esceania reached out, and an agreement was made to marry the princess of the Earth Kingdom with the prince of Esceania. Toph and Sokka. Sokka and Toph. Their marriage would bind the two countries together and hopefully unite them enough to win the War. Along with himself, Sokka was bringing over thousands of troops to help defend the borders of the Earth Kingdom. 

"It's a good deal," his father had told him when he first informed him of his betrothal. "The princess is poise and beautiful. You will make a fine match."

Sokka isn't so sure. Other than her picture, he's never even seen Toph before, much less met her, much less like her. What does she like to do? Where is her favorite place to be? What's her favorite color? He has no answers to these simple questions. All he knows is that she's sixteen, blind, and an only child. Three facts about her, and they're to be married in the same amount of weeks. In three weeks, he will have a wife, and the wife will be her. Toph Beifong. No, Princess Toph Beifong. It's all so overwhelming to him.

"Yes, sir," he repeats in response to his father's question. "I know what's at stake."

"Good." He releases his grip, and Sokka resists the urge to rub it. His father doesn't know his own strength. "It is crucial that you go through with the ceremony."

"I know."

He smiles wryly. "Even if you do not like the princess, you must tolerate her. Love can come later."

This seems an odd thing to say, but he merely nods. "Yes, sir."

"Good man." A servant hustles in, bowing hastily before rushing to whisper in the king's ear. He nods and waves the servant away. "Come, my son. Our ship awaits. I could send someone to fetch your sister, of course, but... I feel you would rather see to it?"

He grins. "Yes, sir. I would." He bows and hurries off down the long corridors, twisting and turning like a labyrinth. Any visitor usually got lost at least once without the aid of a maid or butler, but somehow he and Katara had never had trouble getting through the maze by themselves. He reaches the doors to his sister's chambers quickly and knocks.

"Your majesty." Katara's main maid curtsies as she leads him inside. The scene is not unusual - Katara hurrying to dress in front of a three-way mirror while maids scurry around her like worried mice - but it is unwelcome.

"Katara!" he says exasperatedly. "You were supposed to be ready thirty minutes ago!"

"I know, I know!" She shoots him a cross look. "Inadi, Kinah, please get my hairpins. Quickly, we don't have much time!"

"Yes, my lady." The maids hurry to get what she asked for, and Sokka regards his sister disapprovingly.

"'First impressions are very important, Sokka,'" he quotes haughtily, and laughs in startled surprise as a shoe hits his cheek.

"Shut up and help me," she pleads. "Just - actually, I need that shoe, give it here, please."

He sighs but tosses the shoe. Her maids return with pearled hairpins, and they quickly fix Katara's long brown hair into a delicate updo. She finishes tugging her blue skirts on, and another round of maids ties it up from the back. She gives a twirl, nods to her reflection, and hops down, grabbing Sokka's arm.

"What did Father teach you today?" she asks as they walk down the hall back to the throne room, where they, along with their father, will depart for the Earth Kingdom. Sokka's butler will come too, as well as Katara's maid, who walks behind them with her hands clasped.

"Nothing, actually," he responds. His shoulders tense as he leans down to whisper in her ear. "He wanted to make sure I was well aware of the situation that requires me to be wed."

Katara nods slowly, her head held high. She, too, knows what's at stake. This deal must follow through if their small and relatively young country is to survive, for who knows what the Fire Nation will do if they discover they cannot break through the Earth Kingdom? Will they attack Esceania? Who could say? Neither of them had ever set eyes on a Fire Nation native, nor would they ever like to. 

"Katara," the king says as they walk into the throne room. "You look lovely, my dear." He kisses both her cheeks and spreads his arms widely. "The ship awaits. Come, my children."

Together they walk out the grand doors that lead to the front courtyards, through the gardens, and to the massive silver gates that mark the entrance to the palace, which sits on the beach overlooking the water. They need only turn around to see the ship that shall set sail in merely a few minutes. Their people have gathered outside the palace walls, cheering and throwing the blue-green water lilies that are the national flower of Esceania. Sokka catches one in his hands as they march around to the royal docks, lifts it into the air, then tucks it behind Katara's ears. She smiles at him.

A white ramp trimmed in water lilies and blue ribbon is waiting to lead them onto their ship, the Lamoni. The king, Sokka, and Katara walk onto it as Sitka and Kinah follow dutifully behind them. They stand for a few moments, waving to the citizens and catching more water lilies, before walking single-file onto the main deck. The engine rumbles the ground, while smoke clouds the sky, and they're off, chugging through the crystal blue waves. Before long, the white strip of land that is the islands is far away in the distance.

Katara squeezes his hand. "It will be all right," she whispers. "She will love you."

He grins and whispers his thanks. Somehow Katara always knows what he's thinking before he does. Even with her reassurance, though, he can't help but worry. What if the princess doesn't like him? What if she thinks him dull and boring, or mean and cruel, or self-absorbed and arrogant, or all of that all at once? He's always been surrounded by people who had to be nice to him, no matter their opinions. The Earth Kingdom is foreign ground. There he will have no father to protect him, no Katara to reassure him. They will only stay long enough to negotiate the trade agreements and legal matters of the wedding, and of course to see the ceremony. But after that, he is on his own.

No, he reminds himself. You will not be alone, because she will be there. Toph. You'll never be alone again.

The thought doesn't exactly comfort him. He will be expected to be with Toph at all times after they are husband and wife. He only has three weeks before then, before he is chained to her lock and key. They will have to share a bedroom. More than that, share a bed. Soon they will be expected to have children, produce heirs to the throne. He practically heaves at the thought of having children with some woman he doesn't even know.

You will know her, he thinks, taking a deep breath. You will know her soon. It's not much to go on, but it's all he has for now. Soon he will know her. Then everything will be okay.


	2. Toph

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also I'm releasing them in twos this time, since every other chapter is from either Toph's or Sokka's perspective.
> 
> !TW: MENTIONS OF ABUSE!

"Sit up straight," Toph's father orders from his throne next to his daughter. "And smile. You look like a hooligan, frowning like that."

Toph obeys immediately and effectively, smiling however strained she's sure it looks. Her father grunts his approval. "Better."

Her mother, the queen, stops before her seat and smooths a strand of her hair back before quietly sitting in her own royal seat, on her husband's right. "You look lovely, dear," she says. "I'm sure the prince will love you. They'll be here any minute, now."

At that, she tenses. The prince will be here any minute.

"Who chose your dress?" the king asks her firmly, leaning down to whisper in her ear. Wouldn't want the lords and ladies of the court gathered below to hear their beloved king criticizing a member of his perfect family.

"Ahn," she says stiffly, naming her lady in waiting.

"It clashes terribly with your skin color," he growls. "Look at this, Poppy. Green makes you look sickly. Unfit to be married. Go and change, before they arrive."

"Lao," her mother says gently, resting her hand on his. "There's no time."

The king sighs, massaging his forehead, but subtly. There are many important people here today, Toph knows, even if she can't see them. She also knows that her father would never dare turn this into A Thing in front of them. However indifferent he may be to her and her mother in private, he is a man who cares about appearances. And the show must go on.

"Fine. Then I will fire her later," her father concludes.

"Father, you can't fire Ahn," she sighs. "Ladies in waiting cannot be fired, remember? That's the law."

Her father grits his teeth. "Citizens do not reprimand their kings, Toph. I know my place. It would do you good to learn yours."

She doesn't say anything. It isn't the first time he's spoken to her as if she was some common street rat instead of his daughter, and over the years she's just sort of adjusted to it. Besides, the punishment for speaking back is not exactly an experience that makes her jump up and down for joy.

However strict the laws are in the cities of her kingdom, here in the palace, here in her life, they are far stricter. They've been drilled into her head since her childhood, over and over and over again. Sit up straight. Smile. Look presentable. Don't speak unless spoken to. Be polite. The average set of beginner's rules, she supposes, but here they are enforced much more tightly. It's very easy to offend an Earth Kingdom native.

That's part of the reason she's been put through this arranged marriage process. Of course, there's the whole thing about the Fire Nation attacking any day now, with more and more force and more and more fatalities, but the other half is her father's old-fashioned ideas. She must marry a suitable man by a certain age, and in his opinion, Esceania is the peak of suitable men.

"You will make a fine match," he had said, the day she'd been told of her betrothal. "He's smart, handsome, and has good ties. This will be beneficial for everyone."

Yeah, right. It sure isn't beneficial for Toph. She's never met this man, this - this Sokka, and now in three weeks he is to be her husband? The only thing she knows about him is that he's seventeen. Only one thing. One thing! If only she could see a picture of him at least, to get a feel of what he looks like. Unfortunately, she had been born without such a privilege. She's sure he'll love that. A blind wife who he's never seen before. Not that she necessarily cares what he thinks of her, but due to the fact that they're set to spend the rest of their lives in each other's company she can't help hoping he won't be too appalled by her disability.

She's convinced herself that she'll feel better about the whole thing once he arrives. When he is actually, physically in her presence, she can get a feel of him. She's good at reading people, at feeling what they feel. People don't realize it, but their emotions pour off of them in waves, and she's learned to harness those waves. It's the blindness, she thinks. She can even tell when people are lying. There's something about the way they say it.

The horn of the herald's trumpet interrupts her thoughts and brings her back. He plays a few notes before putting the trumpet away and announcing that the Esceanian royal family had arrived. Toph tightens her grip on her armrests. This is it. He's finally here.

"Bring them in!" her father booms, and she listens to the pitter-patter of the herald's footsteps as he hurried away to lead them in. She raises her head and puts on the sincerest smile she can manage, trying to slow her heartbeat. The pounding seems to echo through the throne room. Oh, Spirits, is it really that loud? She takes deep, slow breaths. Calm down. Calm down.

More footsteps thud along the carpet that leads up to their thrones, bigger this time, and unfamiliar to Toph, who can pick out her family's and servants' footsteps quite easily. One set is thunderous, and she assumes this must be King Hakoda. Another set, to his right, is smaller and lighter. The princess Katara. And... the last set, heavy but faint, quick but slow. Prince Sokka.

"Greetings, your majesty, " a voice bellows, deep and thoughtful in tone like he spends a great deal of time thinking before he speaks. King Hakoda. "Allow us to thank you for welcoming us so graciously into your kingdom."

"Naturally," her father replies. "Thank you for coming on such relatively short notice." Toph rolls her eyes at that part. They've had this little arrangement worked out for months. "We're glad to see that you made the journey safely."

"Indeed we did." There's a pause, and she assumes they must be bowing. "How soon would you like to discuss the details of our agreement?"

Agreement, her ass. Toph certainly hadn't agreed to it.

"Of course you may settle in first," her father says. "After dinner, this evening, you and I will negotiate. We shall leave the prince and my daughter to get to know one another a bit better, and the first bonds of marriage will be announced in two days."

Two days left of freedom, she thinks. Two days before I'm bound to this stranger.

"Excellent," King Hakoda says. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"You two," her father says, and she hears the scurrying of feet to her father's throne. "See the king and his children to their chambers."

"Yes, your majesty," they chorus, and there are a few minutes of noise that she can't quite decipher. When it ends, the king, his daughter, and her fiance are gone, with them the crowd of lords and ladies of the court. Gone back to their rooms now that the excitement was over, she supposes. She wishes she had that chance.

"Well?" her father asks. "What did you think?"

"Of whom?" she says like she doesn't already know. Maybe she shouldn't test her father's mood right now, but she doesn't quite feel like playing nice. Besides, they'd been in her presence for what - a minute? Not even? How can he expect her to get a read on someone in sixty seconds? Especially when she hadn't even spoken to him.

"Of the boy, you foolish girl," he says through clenched teeth. "Not that it matters what you think, of course. It's practically a done deal."

"If it matters not what I think, then why do you ask?" Stop talking. Stop talking.

"I thought perhaps I should humor you," he replies.

"How kind of you." What are you doing? Stop. Talking. Do you want to be punished?

Her father smacks his lips, and she recoils as drops of spit land on her cheeks. "I see now that your lip has not improved, young lady. I think it best if you are detained to your chambers for the rest of the day. I will send for you when it is time for your meeting with the prince."

Well. That certainly isn't the way she had planned to spend her afternoon, but it's undoubtedly better than the usual punishments she receives. Courteously she nods and says, "As you wish, Father."

"Toph." Her mother's voice is hard, coated with a warning. She, too, has been the subject of the king's punishments over the years, but she once said that watching her daughter bear the weight was so much worse than bearing it herself. And what kind of a person would she be if she let her mother suffer?

She ducks her head and curtsies, if somewhat rougher than perhaps she should, and flicks her finger for Ahn to lead her back to her chambers. She takes her hand and guides her down a corridor, through several hallways, and up a few flights of stairs in the familiar path that she knows leads to her bedroom. Once they arrive, Ahn shuts the doors quietly and lowers the curtains on all the windows. The Esceanian royal family hadn't arrived until late afternoon and by now it was settling into the evening.

"Shall I draw your bath?" Ahn asks.

Toph takes a deep, slow breath in. "All right," she says, and carefully strips herself of the many layers she'd been adorned in. Ahn rushes to the bathroom and soon she can hear the running water and the scent of lavender and vanilla wafts through her rooms. Several times, her other maids or even her mother have been present when she had been getting ready to bathe, and on those occasions she and Ahn put on their masks and played the part of the helpless blind girl and her poor maid who had to direct her everywhere. When they are alone, they can relax. Toph knows her way around her chambers, has known for as long as she can remember. Her parents, even her mother, see her as a delicate flower, something that needs preserving. But she can handle herself quite well around the palace.

"It's ready, my lady," Ahn calls out, and she goes into the bathroom and removes her slip. She slides into the water, letting it warm her very cells. Her skin tingles with excitement. She's always loved scalding baths. She rubs soothing lotions across her legs and attempts to think of a way to have Ahn answer her question without acting suspiciously.

"Ahn, you... you were there today, weren't you?" You idiot. Of course she was there.

Ahn sounds amused when she responds. "Yes, my lady. Right next to you."

"Right, right, of course... Er, you saw the prince then?"

"Yes, I did."

She casually massages her long hair with oils. "Describe him for me."

"Of course, my lady." She clears her throat and Toph closes her eyes. Ahn has been her maid for nearly four years now, and she has a gift for explaining things, so for nearly all that time, all Toph had to ask was for a description, and suddenly it was like she could see.

"He was rather tall, actually, far taller than I'd been expecting," she says thoughtfully. "Almost your father's height. He has broad shoulders and strong arms. He flexed them a few times during the introductions, like he wanted to show them off, which seemed a bit pointless to me since of course you can't see them. His legs were strong-looking too, like he works out regularly."

"Mhm. His eyes, were they green like mine?"

"No, they were blue. Startlingly blue, like the ocean, but not like any water I've ever seen. Crystal clear, electric, almost. Like if you gazed at them for too long, you would get swept away."

"Oh. Wow."

"I've heard that everyone on those islands have eyes like that, but his father's and his sister's didn't seem quite as bright. His - well, I won't butter the corners, they absolutely lit up when he first saw you."

"What?" Toph chokes, sitting straight up and coughing on the soapy water. "Ahn!"

She laughs. "It's true! I saw it myself, he gazed at you and he looked as though he stopped breathing for a few moments. I'm sure he thought you were beautiful, my lady."

"Beautiful," she mutters, wiping her chin. "How could he find me beautiful, when he doesn't know me?"

"I think he sees beauty a bit different from you. He doesn't have to rely on personality to determine it as you do."

"Hmph. Keep going, what about his face?"

"Well, it was very tanned, and his cheeks were sun-kissed. His nose was almost like that of yours, very pointed and noticeable. Not in a bad way, though. He had medium eyebrows the same color as his hair, which was dark, dark brown, like the feeling of soil and dirt sifting through your hands. Muddy hair. Some of the strands were braided back thinly and the whole thing was pulled back. The sides of his head were shaved."

Toph wrinkles her nose. "Shaved?"

"If I'm not mistaken, it's traditional on the islands. The braids are significant as well, some sort of coming of age ceremony. You know, my lady," Ahn says cautiously, and she groans internally. This is probably the part where she tells her that she should already know the ins and outs of culture and tradition in Esceania. "The tapes your father sent a few weeks ago are getting awfully dusty over there in the corner."

"Oh, Ahn," she sighs, waving her hand vaguely. "Those tapes are incredibly boring, you wouldn't believe it. Lectures on geography and courtesy and how I should position my eyes - tell me, Ahn, how can I position my eyes? Hm? I'd like to meet the author of those tapes and give him a piece of my mind. He obviously didn't have blind people in mind when he made it."

"No, my lady." Ahn shrinks back into the shadows of the bathroom, as she usually does whenever Toph was on a rant. "Shall I get your robe?"

"No, I want to rest," she says. At that moment, the faint echo of someone knocking on the massive doors came floating into the bathroom. Toph cocks her head to the side. "Go see who that is."

She nods and scurries over to the door. Toph listens thoughtfully, massaging her legs. Ahn speaks softly to the person at the door, then she hears it shut and her maid's feet hurrying back to her.

"It's Lord Zuko, my lady," she says, her voice dropping several octaves.

She jerks her head up, immediately at attention. "Hm. On second thought, I think I'll need my robe."

"Yes, my lady." Ahn retrieves her silky evening robe and slides it onto her shoulders. Toph ties it tightly around her waist.

"You may go now," she says to Ahn, who courtesies and leaves out the door that leads to her room off of Toph's chambers. She straightens herself up and goes to let Zuko in.

"Lord Zuko," she says, just in case there are prying eyes or ears around. She doesn't think so, but it doesn't hurt to be safe. She feels him pass by her, his long robes brushing against her, the familiar starchy material commonly found everywhere in the Earth Kingdom.

"Lady Toph," he says, and she quietly shuts the doors and turns around to face him. Some of her "friends" - meaning other young ladies at court with whom her father had made her associate with when she was younger - would never be caught dead alone in a room with a man, especially not this man. The rumors surrounding him are endless, each one more far-fetched than the last. Only she knows the truth.

"Were you there today?" she asks once she hears him remove his cloak and drop it onto the floor. "Did you see them?"

"Yeah. They seemed okay, I guess," he says, flopping down into one of her plush chairs. She does the same into the one next to him. "Did you get a read on them?"

"Nah. Too quick. But Father did say I was to be with him later today. I don't know what time, though."

Zuko snorts. "At least you actually get to speak with your father." He holds up his hand as she opens her mouth to speak. "I know he's a scum-sucking excuse for a father, but it's not like he physically abuses you or anything."

Toph bites her lip. If only he knew. But she holds her tongue - she's gone a good ten years without revealing her secret to anyone, not even her closest friend. Besides, she can handle it, and she has to admit that it's better than what King Ozai did to Zuko. She pictures his fingers on his scar, his red, inflamed, ugly scar that he's allowed her to touch on a few occasions. As bad as her father is, he's never burned half her face off and forced her to flee her kingdom in fear of her life. Zuko's has.

She's heard wild tales about his presence here at the palace, where he rooms just like all the other lords of the court. It doesn't hurt that his uncle is a well-known merchant who's known for his honesty and advice, but the gossip that drove him out of the Fire Nation followed him here and evolved. According to the people who dare to discuss him, he either was kidnapped by King Lao and is being held prisoner here, had run away with his mother but had killed her along the way, or had been abducted by aliens and was now living happily on another planet. That one had made them laugh hysterically, when Toph had filled Zuko in on the latest gossip surrounding him.

How they had become friends was unclear in her memory. She just remembers confiding in him one day, and then suddenly he was her best friend. She fought off anyone who dared make fun of him to his face, despite being two years younger than him and two feet shorter than him, and in return, he told her his deepest, darkest secret - that he was Fire Nation, the very place that was attacking their borders as they spoke, and that he was hiding where his father and sister would never find him again. He never spoke of his mother, but that was fine with Toph. She had secrets, too. Besides, even siblings kept things from each other, and that was what he was like.

"True," she says to him. "Sorry."

"'S fine." He turns over onto his side, facing her in their chairs, his voice thoughtful. "I just wish... well, you know what I wish."

"Yeah." She holds out her arm and feels his warm hand slide into hers. "I know."


End file.
